Over the weekend, I read an incredible book: The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown. READ THIS BOOK. I'm serious. It is a 130-page powerhouse of truth telling that will feed your spirit and inspire you to shine your authenticity out to the world.
On Monday, Brene launched what she's calling a "Perfect Protest" on her blog Ordinary Courage (which I also highly recommend). Well, you guys know I'm a recovering perfectionist, and I'm all about protesting perfection, so OF COURSE I had to participate. This video is my contribution to the movement. Enjoy!
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Okay - your turn! I wanna here your admissions of imperfection in the comments!
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I especially like the part about you “might” have a rotten cucumber in your crisper…does this mean you can’t identify with certainty whether or not it once was a cuke? Have you been rummaging through my fridge while I sleep? LOL!
I must congratulate you — since you have confessed that it secretly matters to you — and say that I DID enjoy your video and envy your dance ability. As a graduate of the Elaine Benes school of dance, I am always in awe of people who don’t look like they are having a seizure when grooving.
Off to the gym…hope I can remember not to sing OUT LOUD while listening to my workout mix through the headphones!
Pamela Jones´s last [type] ..The ImPerfectionista
Hey Pamela! Thanks so much for being the first commenter on this video! YOUR COMMENT CRACKED ME UP!
Okay — the cucumber. Guess what? It wasn’t rotten after all! Totally usable. But… the green onions? OH MY! A nasty bag of slime. Yikes. Oh well, right?
Hope you sang your beautiful heart out at the gym!
Note to self:
If Joy offers you a salad, don’t try the special Green Onion Dressing!
Got it.
Pamela Jones´s last [type] ..The ImPerfectionista
BWAH HA HA HA HA HA!!!
Joy!
I love the energy you exude when you DANCE!!!
And — the message here — so good. Perfection…ah…how easy it is for me to put blinders on sometimes…
Lance´s last [type] ..Life Happiness Lessons– What I Learned From a Duck
Hey friend! It’s always so nice to see your face. HUGS!
HAHAHAHAHA! Brought light to my morning (as always!). My own imperfect admissions today: I never floss (like ever). Sometimes I really hate my cats. I can’t hit a ball to save my life (any type). I took all 40 photos last night without the SD card in the camera… so have none. I lose my glasses at least six times a day. And I love me!
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul´s last [type] ..Running on empty
I never floss either Ashley!!
OH MY, I LOVE your confessions! I’m dying over here! I love me and I love you! YEAH!
You rock!
Why, thank you very much!
I thought that you got rid of that wart a long time ago!!!! Thanks for making me smile, I needed that. I’m feeling a little “off” today and I guess I’ll just “be myself”!
Love you girl!
Well, I did get rid of THAT wart, but a couple of months ago I got a brand new one. And no, Mom, I am NOT going to pee on it.
Love you so much. Hope you have a perfectly imperfect day.
LOVE IT!!!!
dance on, hot stuff! imperfection is way hotter!
rachael maddox´s last [type] ..love
Ha ha ha! Thanks! You are SO RIGHT. Imperfection = Hot. Love it. XO!
Thank you for making my day! This is beyond fabulous, freeing and inspiring. It made my heart leap at your courage to be who you are, and to share it with the world, unapologeticly (is that a word?). I rarely comment on blogs, so goes to show just how fantastic I thought this video was. Thank YOU!
I got this link from Brene Brown’s twitter, so now I’m off to check out the rest of your blog
Aw, well thank YOU for coming over and commenting. It’s lovely to meet you and to have you here. XXOO!
Found my way here via a Twitter link and am filled with joy with this explosion of anti-perfectionism. A recovering perfectionist myself, I love the inspiration of seeing other people just BE instead of all the exhausting TRY, TRY, TRY of perfectionism. Thanks for sharing your joy.
Ah, isn’t a relief to find out we can all be fabulous without being perfect? Thanks so much for commenting!
LOVE IT!!!!! you go, gurl!!!
THANKS! XO!
I too have a wart on my foot. And I too care way to much what people think about me. Today, after watching your wonderful video, I am going to put both out of my mind. Thank you!
AWESOME! Rock it out, Alison!
That was awesome! I only brush my teeth once a day too! and I don’t floss. I haven’t waxed my eyebrows in 2 months. I fall down a lot. Although I write everything down in a planner, I never check it to see what is going on. I do love to dance in the kitchen though and I’m pretty good at that! I love your video. thanks for sharing.
WOO HOO! Thanks for adding your confessions! LOVE IT! XXOO!
You. are. awesome!
Brené´s last [type] ..the perfect protest
Deep breath. Trying to compose myself and be cool. Wait — NO — “being cool” is not being authentic. Okay…
OMG YOU COMMENTED ON MY BLOG! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!
There. I’m feeling vulnerable now. But no shame! See how much I’ve learned from you?
Ah! I just discovered this on a retweet on twitter and it is DELIGHTFUL! I love it– it actually made me tear up a little at the JOY of it all.
Thank you
Aw, thank you. That’s the greatest compliment I could possibly get — that you teared up a bit with JOY. Beautiful. I am humbled and so thankful to you for sharing this.
That was BRILLIANT!!
Susannah´s last [type] ..The rookie teacher
You think? WOW! THANKS!
I also found my way here via twitter and your video made me smile SO big! Thank you for being yourself — I love it!!! My admission of imperfection — when I don’t have any place to be, I usually just stay in my pajamas all day and forget to brush my teeth until (at least) after lunch.
Saba´s last [type] ..less perfect is more fun
Ha ha ha ha! Oh, man, I totally do the same thing. I work from home and sometimes when I pick my hubby up from work, he says, “Did you brush?” before he kisses me hello!!!!!
I really really really like the video!
And I have weird pinky toes too!
The Other Laura´s last [type] ..Perfect Protest
Yeah! What are you pinky toes like? Mine are really round and red and curl under!
And I’m glad you really like the video. Not that I NEED your validation, per say. No, no, not at all.
I REALLY REALLY like this video. A lot! (p.s. your movie making and editing skills are totally awesome!)
Love the multifunctional sweater! Way to rock it out!
And this person thinks you are fabulous!
Ha ha ha ha ha!!!! Thank you SO MUCH for mentioning the multifunctional sweater. I have to admit, I cracked myself up with that. Glad you liked it, too. The sign of a kindred spirit, huh?
FELLIN this and I am 2 passionate 2 be perfect.…http://www.thepmteamblog.com
sara speer selber´s last [type] ..2 passionate 2 b perfect
AWESOME!
I love this! not that you care.
Michel´s last [type] ..Elk Island Park photo walk
Thanks, Michel!
SNAP! love this love you! I’m smiling so big.
Megan Matthieson´s last [type] ..Vlog 1 practice what u want to preach
Ha ha! I got a SNAP! That rocks! Thanks for commenting.
fabulous! totally fabulous!
(i liked it. A LOT.)
He he he. I am SO GLAD you liked it.
I am awaiting my book to arrive via UPS any time now — i ordered it the other day. Can’t wait to dive in! I love the video — GO YOU! I am inspired to embrace my imperfections…and I have plenty to share! ha ha
Yeah! You’re going to LOVE the book. Thanks for commenting!
LOVE that smile! You lit up my office space!
Well thanks! That smile only gets brushed once a day and it’s still lovable! HA! Thanks for commenting!
JOY! This is 1. so much dadgum fun! I LOVE it! and 2. spooky because last night I dreamt I had a wart on my foot.
xo,
–Max
Oooooh! A wart dream? What does it MEAN, Max!!!!
I love, love, love your dance videos; they make me smile and want to groove with you girl! Imperfections, oh where do I begin.…I have weird FEET, don’ floss regularly, get frustrated with my “old lady” weimaraner but love her so much, don’t exercise enough, don’t eat right alot of the time, I can’t hit a ball either but then I have no depth perception, my house is a cluttered mess, and the list goes on and on.… But, I’m working on the stuff that I can and the stuff that just is, well, it is what it is and I am who I am. It’s taken many years to come to that realization and it’s been tough embracing it and sometimes my grasp slips but I grab hold again and it seems to be longer each time around. Of course knowing you Joy has helped me to be more empowered and I thank you so much for that. You are a bright light!
Oh, my dear Rita. I just love you. Thank you for adding your confessions to the mix and for being YOU. You ROCK.
Heh! I have to say it twice: I REALLY LOVE this video.
All my toes are weird — not just the pinkies. In fact, my feet are square. They are the feet that Diego Rivera would have given a robot, if he had painted robots instead of peasants.
HA! A double commenter? My inner validation junkie is HIGH!!!!
And SWEET LORD your comment cracked me up!
I have a wart on my foot…and just recently I found out that I had a wart on my face!! MY FACE! Like a witch! I had it removed thinking it might be cancer (not the bad kind…but still…) and it was a WART! ACK!
I love you Joy!
Yeah for warts!!!!! (And I love you, too.)
your imperfection is perfect. you rock, sista!
jeanine´s last [type] ..list 24– things to do while stuck in traffic
Thanks!!!! Love and light to you!
OH! I love this video! I too only brush once a day. But I totally lie to the dentist.
And as for your pinky/pinkie toes? I have Fred Flintstone feet. That shouldn’t matter, but because I care too much about what other people think, it does.
I need that book, yes I do!
Thank you for putting yourself out there. This is an awesome wake-up call for me
Catheroo´s last [type] ..Surely You Jest
Ha ha ha ha! This is SO MUCH FUN! I’ve always been so insecure and secretive about brushing once a day. Isn’t that ridiculous? I feel so liberated now! You are adorable. Thanks for commenting!
Oh Joy — I think you and I might be related as we share a lot of “imperfections”. Thanks for the smile and reminding me how PERFECTLY imperfect I am…
Hey Kathi! So nice to know I’m not alone! YEAH! Revel in your imperfection today! It’s glorious!!!
Well, I was supposed to be somewhere right about now, and I was supposed to be bathed and all that goes with that, but I saw a Joy dance video was waiting for me and I just had to watch it and so now I am late but it was so worth it—–made my day!
So now I will just go late and unwashed to where I am supposed to be. And one of my imperfections is how much time I spend messing around on this computer. Also, my desk is an archeological site—–don’t really know what is under there now. And, in between semesters when I don’t have students in my studio, I watch everyday as it gets messier and messier—–and I am too lazy to use spell check, and I feed my fat cat too many treats and let him run the house. And the carrots in my fridge are all getting dread locks made because the little hairs on them are getting so long. I have not checked in with the red peppers lately. They might just be red slime juice by now. And since none of this has gotten any better in the last 40 years, I think I will quit worrying about whether or not people think I am a slob—–it could just be a symptom of being creative, after all.
Did I mention that this video made my day? And when you put the sweater over your head, for a minute I thought you had gotten Whoopie Goldburg to take your place(me and my weird mind and eyes). Love you! Keep em coming cause some of us are becoming Joy Dance Video Addicts!
WOO HOO! Love your confessions, Jean! And I love the idea of your imperfections being symptoms of creativity. I’m going to latch onto that one. “Oh, I’m sorry the laundry is strewn all over the floor. It’s just a symptom of my freakin’ amazing CREATIVITY!!!!”
Have a great day, baby!
You nut!
This. is. not. long. enough.
You are perfectly honest.
Love it. Love you.
Takes a nut to know a nut. And I love you, too.
OMG!!! What a FUN video!!! You are ADORABLE!! Love your smile and your ‘tude!! P.s. I also brush my teeth once/day.…and I’ve been known to leave a cucumber in that crisper way too long as well
THANKS! So glad you enjoyed it! And glad to know I have more company with my “imperfections”!
This is so fabulous. I struggle with perfectionism and, at times, drive myself crazy. I can’t imagine how hard it is on the poor people around me.
Some confessions:
–I leave the shower door open, even though I know it drives hubs up the wall.
–I cannot manage to keep my closet organized all of the time.
–The top of my refrigerator is protected by a fabulous layer of dust.
–The floor under my refrigerator is protected by a fabulous layer of dust bunnies.
–I refold the towels after my husband, because I like them to all be folded in the same direction.
I cannot wait to share your video at the Annual Mary Elizabeth’s Mother’s Day Tea at my school this year. Thank you so much for posting it!
Hey Lisa! Thanks for commenting and especially for adding your confessions! LOVE IT! And… the thought of this video being shared at a “Tea” just cracks me up to no end. I hope you’re serious. That would just be fabulous! XO!
You are a ROCKSTAR!! I LOVE this post. You are fabulous. I have weird pinkie/pinky toes, too!! And massive dust bunnies mixed with dog hair all over the house. And worries that my blog isn’t interesting to people, or that my photography isn’t all that good, or blah, blah, and blah. But I really am enough, just as I am.
xoxoxo
Meghan´s last [type] ..Seeking and Fostering Community
I always kinda wanted to be a rockstar! THANKS! And thanks for sharing your confessions. YOU’RE a rockstar, too! XO!
P.S. Just took a peek and you’re photography is GORGEOUS.
like it .… LOVED it.. had so much fun watching it…
Karen D´s last [type] ..Wishcast Wednesday– What do you wish to step into
Thanks! So glad you enjoyed!
I’m back watching again because you are that awesome!
Brené´s last [type] ..the perfect protest
HA! You’re so rocking my world. You just don’t even know.
I <3 you and your video. I just shared it on Facebook to my friends because they will love you as well
Glad to see you join the protest. I posted my sign a couple of days ago “loves the freedom of imperfection” Thanks for the great time and carry on with your imperfection 
Oh, Janelle! Thank you so much for your sweet comment and for sharing the video! You’re a peach! XXOO!
This video is SO awesome! I need to play this for myself every day. I love the “Cleopatra” look of the sweater on your head. And I laughed out loud at your confession about your miniature dachschunds…I’ve got Scotties, and lose my temper at them sometimes, too. Like, exactly how BADASS do you have to be to lose your temper at something as sweet and cute as a miniature dachschund or a Scottie?? And you think a wart on your foot is bad? Girl, at least you don’t have to keep tweezing a piano-wire-like hair out of the middle of a flat mole just below your jawline. Sort of like that creepy old guard in Pearl S. Buck’s “The Good Earth.” Ewwwww. I’ve got a million confessions of imperfection; just wish I could dance like you do. You seriously ROCK and I’m SO glad you’re my coach! Just ordered the book and got a preview for my Kindle, too, which I’m gonna read in bed tonight, and probably fall asleep SNORING. Love you, Joy!
HA HA HA HA! I adore you, honey! You are such a kindred spirit! You’re gonna love the book. Can’t wait until our next chat!
you totally and utterly ROCK at this being yourself thing.
COOL!
Vanessa´s last [type] ..this is Goodbye
WOW! Well thank you very much!
JOY!!!!
You are so AWESOME and BEAUTIFUL and AMAZING! I just ordered this book and cannot wait to read it! You’ve also reminded me that I need to make a dancing video as well!!!
Katie @ Health for the Whole Self´s last [type] ..Molasses Muffins and Cheesy Turkey Pie– My Review of Too Many Cooks
Aw, thank you so much, sweets. You are going to LOVE the book! And don’t you think I’ve forgotten about our dancing date. I have to figure out the technology, but it’s definitely on my list!
this video is a-maz-ing — laughing & crying at the utter fabulous-ness of it. THANK YOU!
Mmmmm… laughing & tears. That just rocks. That’s the best, isn’t it? Thanks so much for commenting! XO!
id like you to come to my next dance party.
hot moves!!!! loved the video!
jen gray´s last [type] ..The Gifts of Imperfection Brene Brown
Oh, baby, I would LOVE to come to your next dance party!
Oh my god, I don’t even know you, but I LOVE YOU. I just found your blog via chookooloonks, which I just found via some other blog. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, Joy. Your fantastic video made me laugh and cry, and most definitely made my day, if not my month.
P.S. I’m a Wanna Be Recovering Perfectionist, so I won’t even go into my list of imperfections, except to one up you on your pathetic crisper drawer admission. I have at least an inch of brown liquid sitting in one of mine (and I can’t believe I just admitted it). XOXOXO
Farmgirl Susan´s last [type] ..Tuesday Dose of Cute– Got Treats
HA HA about the brown liquid! I hear you! When we moved out of an apartment recently, I had to really clean the fridge for the first time in six years… and OH MY GOODNESS. The stuff that was UNDER the crisper? You don’t even wanna know! GROSS!
Thanks so much for your lovely comment. It’s great to “meet” you!
You mean those drawers come out???
My favorite part of your video (which I’ve watched three times now) — besides the dancing of course — was where you admitted not knowing if you could find the state you live in on a map. I started clicking all over your site trying to find out where you live — and was glad to see you’d just moved to South Carolina (which one is that again?) in August. When I moved from my native California to Missouri 16 (omg where does the time go?) years ago, it took me — ahem — quite some time before I could figure out which state on the tv news weathermap was mine before the map disappeared. Now I can almost name all the ones bordering it!
Farmgirl Susan´s last [type] ..Tuesday Dose of Cute– Got Treats
I think I love you. That video is truly the best representation of the perfect protest — EVER!
carrie´s last [type] ..The Perfect Protest
Oh, WOW! Thanks. What an awesome comment! You’re a peach!
Oh, WOW, Jenny, thank you so much for sharing this. First of all, I’m so sorry for the tragedy your family has experienced. My love is with you.
And… “I don’t know Joy but honestly I think I’ve spent too much time caring about how I looked and less time caring about how I felt inside of my body.” YES! Baby, that’s it. That was my discovery as well. I am so excited to watch all of this unfolding for you.
And doing the video for your teacher blog is RIGHT ON! I’ve found that a combination of inner inquiry as well as gutsy action steps (even though they often scare the crap out of me) has been a winning combination. Can’t wait to see your video!
YOU are awesome!
Oh my gosh — I LOVED your video! What a bold and creative way to celebrate imperfections! Thanks for sharing!!
Allie´s last [type] ..So long perfektionism
Thanks, Allie! My pleasure!
Do I love it? A lot??? YES YES YES
I reviewed The Gifts of Imperfection on Silver & Grace and I highly recommend it. Your video was an awesome tribute to Brene’s book AND to all our wonderful imperfections.
You go girl!
(Have twittered and Facebooked this)
Eliza´s last [type] ..Where Women Fall Short
Thanks, Eliza! Much love!
[…] Especially this one, from Joy Tanksley, who is my newest hero. […]
You are so amazing, so beautiful, so inspiring. Wow. I have a new hero.
you, You, YOU, girl.
Now, I want to make my own dance video. Which is probably one of the most terrifying things I can imagine. Which might be exactly why I must do it.
So. My imperfections:
I am not always the best example to my daughter of how to be gentle and loving to myself. I can forget to practice self-care and berate myself for simply being human. I care way too much what others think of me — even when I remember that they are likely not having an opinion of me at all.
Also, I do not wash my kitchen floor nearly often enough. I stumble on nothing. And I can never tell the short version of a story.
Jet Harrington´s last [type] ..protest perfection
Oh, Jet, YOU ROCK! Your confessions are beautiful and all near and dear to my heart. If you make a dancing video, PLEASE let me know!!!